Work settings in adverts are often portrayed as large open spaces, which makes it very difficult to identify any specific country, therefore allowing for an easy roll-out into global markets. Let’s approach the matter the other way around; looking at local strategies, how have brands used different countries’ work culture to market their products? Creative Culture takes a closer look at adverts from six different brands and locations to find out the answer.
Are you good at napping?
Everyone knows that “siesta” means nap in Spanish. Something that everyone may not know though is that taking a siesta is a standard aspect of daily life that is engrained in the Latin American and Spanish cultures. Generally speaking, after lunch and somewhere between 1pm to 3pm is considered the official time to take a siesta in Latin America, and it’s not at all surprising to see all the shops close down in response to this.
In 2012, Comedy Central played off of this cultural staple when they launched their network in Latin America. Staying true to its name, the network put a humorous spin on napping by creating an advert about “The Siesta World Cup”.
Stay-at-home Dad
In America, it is still by-and-large the norm for women to stay home with the children, and neither parent is legally entitled to any paid leave. As a contrast, in Sweden, parents are given a total of 18 months leave, which can be split between the parents however they want. The only requirement is that 3 months out of the 18 be reserved for the fathers for their “Pappaledighet” (paternity leave). Parents can even get bonus payments depending on how evenly they share the leave time. Here’s how Wasa, the Swedish crispbread company, highlighted these stark differences in their American commercial.
Shinrai
Business relationships cannot be built without trust. In Japan, trust in a business context is known as shinrai, and it is the crucial foundation for any working relationship. As a way to foster shinrai between co-workers, it is not uncommon to see them socialising in izakaya bars together after work. Thus unfolds the scene in Suntory Japanese Whisky’s 2015 commercial for its Hibiki Whisky, where British star Martin Freeman is seen sitting with a co-worker in a bar, getting a “presentation about Japan”.
One-of-a-kind
For their 2015 advert, South African insurance company Santam TVC sought to celebrate what makes their country unique, producing a campaign with the tagline “One-of-a-kind insurance for a one-of-a-kind country”. In it, people from all over the world are seen speaking about things that are unique to South Africa such as a “Car Guard”. Have you ever heard of this? It is a job! Considered part of the “informal” economy of the country, it has a love-hate relationship with its citizens.
Are all interviews the same?
While different cultures may expect different things of their employees, every job starts with the same first step… the interview. The main objective is universal: to make a good first impression. How to achieve this is often what varies from a work culture to another. In 2013, Heineken sought to combat the fakery. In a campaign that enjoyed viral success, they put job hopefuls through a series of insane (and fake) situations, to see how each would react. These spontaneous, genuine reactions ensured that the brand found the right talent for the job and went properly viral.
So, when talking about the work environment, would you go global or local?
Are you good at napping?
Everyone knows that “siesta” means nap in Spanish. Something that everyone may not know though is that taking a siesta is a standard aspect of daily life that is engrained in the Latin American and Spanish cultures. Generally speaking, after lunch and somewhere between 1pm to 3pm is considered the official time to take a siesta in Latin America, and it’s not at all surprising to see all the shops close down in response to this.
In 2012, Comedy Central played off of this cultural staple when they launched their network in Latin America. Staying true to its name, the network put a humorous spin on napping by creating an advert about “The Siesta World Cup”.
Stay-at-home Dad
In America, it is still by-and-large the norm for women to stay home with the children, and neither parent is legally entitled to any paid leave. As a contrast, in Sweden, parents are given a total of 18 months leave, which can be split between the parents however they want. The only requirement is that 3 months out of the 18 be reserved for the fathers for their “Pappaledighet” (paternity leave). Parents can even get bonus payments depending on how evenly they share the leave time. Here’s how Wasa, the Swedish crispbread company, highlighted these stark differences in their American commercial.
Shinrai
Business relationships cannot be built without trust. In Japan, trust in a business context is known as shinrai, and it is the crucial foundation for any working relationship. As a way to foster shinrai between co-workers, it is not uncommon to see them socialising in izakaya bars together after work. Thus unfolds the scene in Suntory Japanese Whisky’s 2015 commercial for its Hibiki Whisky, where British star Martin Freeman is seen sitting with a co-worker in a bar, getting a “presentation about Japan”.
One-of-a-kind
For their 2015 advert, South African insurance company Santam TVC sought to celebrate what makes their country unique, producing a campaign with the tagline “One-of-a-kind insurance for a one-of-a-kind country”. In it, people from all over the world are seen speaking about things that are unique to South Africa such as a “Car Guard”. Have you ever heard of this? It is a job! Considered part of the “informal” economy of the country, it has a love-hate relationship with its citizens.
Are all interviews the same?
While different cultures may expect different things of their employees, every job starts with the same first step… the interview. The main objective is universal: to make a good first impression. How to achieve this is often what varies from a work culture to another. In 2013, Heineken sought to combat the fakery. In a campaign that enjoyed viral success, they put job hopefuls through a series of insane (and fake) situations, to see how each would react. These spontaneous, genuine reactions ensured that the brand found the right talent for the job and went properly viral.
So, when talking about the work environment, would you go global or local?
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